Opinion Former Article

NASUWT comments on the Scottish National Party manifesto

Commenting on the proposals for education in the Scottish National Party (SNP) manifesto, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers' union, said:

"Public services are essential to rebuilding the country after the recession and it would be deeply damaging to cut public services any time soon. Reigning back public spending would be detrimental to education in Scotland.

"The Scottish National Party (SNP) commitment to maintain public sector spending is welcome, but this must now be allowed to happen at the expense of other parts of the UK.

"The SNP's opposition to any changes to the Barnett funding formula recognises the extent to which Scotland's public services have benefited from the current system.

"The commitment to widening participation in post-16 learning, cutting class sizes and investing in new school buildings represents an ambitious program that can only be delivered through a coherent economic plan for the whole of the UK.

"Cutting the links between Holyrood and Westminster would threaten jobs and public services in Scotland and must be avoided at all costs.

"Now is the wrong time to cut public spending which would put at risk jobs, the economic recovery and services for ordinary families.

"Public services and the people of Scotland should not, now or in the future, be made to pay the price for a recession caused by the irresponsible practices of bankers.

"The SNP needs to come clean about what its proposals for a pay freeze in the public sector would mean in practice.

"Cutting the pay of public service workers would damage the prospects of Scotland's public services to recruit and retain the best.

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